Crochet Kitten

I just finished making this little amigurumi cat with maize colored cotton yarn.

The crochet pattern is fun and easy:

Fold the flat rectangular body piece and stitch to form legs.

Sew on the head and tail -- and the kitty is done!

Looks like the ginger colored cat approves.

(The cat on the left isn't mine. He just happened to wander in while I was taking pictures.)

Bugs

Three tiny ants on a flower form a face.  ( Click image to enlarge if necessary.)

Ants on Yellow Bells flower (Tecoma stans)

Sweat Bee

Milkweed Bug nymph

Giant Mesquite Bug nymph

Giant Mesquite Bug adult

Bark Scorpion

Comparing this picture of neighbor kitty chasing a bug with the picture above it, doesn't he look like a scorpion?

Bento Box Quilts

This year I started making quilts again after a long break from sewing.  I still have a huge stash of fabrics from the 1980's and 90's, and some of the new colors and patterns are tempting also.

In the summer I made a baby Bento Box quilt for my grandson, TJ.

And, I just completed a bigger version for one of my sons.

The name Bento Box comes from Japanese lunch boxes that have partitions.  The quilt pattern is simpler to piece together than it might look:

First, basic log cabin "courthouse steps" blocks are built, half of the blocks having dark centers, and the remaining with light centers.

Then, all the blocks are cut into quarters, and kitty-cornered sections are switched out and replaced with their light or dark counterparts.


For me, learning how to free-motion machine quilt was a fun adventure. It took a lot of practice, but I feel it was worth it.  I like how the curvy meandering lines of stitching seem to soften and unite the overall look of these patchwork quilts.

Sometime I might like to try a modified Bento Box quilt for a postmodern look.  :D